Youtube workout videos are a dime a dozen. There are probably three trillion of them being uploaded every day, most of them as forgettable as the last season of Game of Thrones. However, if you know where to look, you'll find hidden gems such as Aquaman star Dolph Lundgren's Maximum Potential, a lifestyle/workout video released in 1987 on VHS!
According to an anonymous reviewer on IMDB, Maximum Potential "Dolph Lundgren's [...] varied and comprehensive personal workout on home video, comprised of body sculpturing, boxing, shadow boxing, running, jumping rope, yoga, the martial arts and more. Even includes stress management - exercise for the mind" – indeed an enticing concept.
And the video delivers spades, not just workout content but also proper 80s nostalgia. Unlike most modern workout videos, Maximum Potential was conceived by Dolph and aims to improve your physical and mental state while also providing entertainment. It's also a bit philosophical in places; truly an hour of fun-filled entertainment.
Here is the video:
The opening sequence brought tears to my eyes; it's so beautiful. Dolph cycling around LA in short shorts on a classic road bike in a fitted hoody and sunnies is perfect 80s nostalgia. And things get even better when he starts talking!
He talks about nature and how it's chaotic yet in perfect balance; how as a kid, he focused on academics and only after he started doing karate did he understand that being physically fit is as important as sharpening the mind. "As I became more proficient, I realised that physical fitness was extremely important in order for people to realise their full potential", he says as he climbs up the steps to a lifeguard booth, supposedly to start his shift as an LA lifeguard.
After around five minutes of sweeping shots of him running on the beach, the workout part of the video starts; this is where things get saucy. During warm-up, we see Dolph's oiled-up body from all the angles as he gets ready for a gruelling bodyweight workout, which has many 80s aerobic exercise elements, not surprisingly.
And not going to detail every scene in the video – you have to watch and experience it first-hand. There is no other way! If you make it to the end, you'll get to experience Dolph's mindfulness exercises – way ahead of his time, before Headspace muscles its way to take over the market.
"Now you should feel energised, relaxed, revitalised and ready to make your fantasies come true", he concludes at the end of the video. Yes, Dolph, I do!
